One patient and five members of staff test positive for COVID-19 at cardiology ward in Royal Victoria Hospital

According to the BBC staff received the positive test results over the past fortnight and testing is “ongoing”.

A report on the BBC says that the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust confirmed the outbreak.

The Trust also said one patient was self-isolating but that no one was currently off work as a result of the cluster.

Last week the Chief Medical Officer Dr Michael McBride wrote to all healthcare staff advising them how to minimise the risk of coronavirus outbreaks in hospitals and elsewhere.

He wrote: “It is extremely challenging to maintain our guard at all times and this may inadvertently result in lapses in maintaining the recommended precautions in social interactions and other settings across our health and care facilities.

“It is therefore particularly important that we all remain vigilant in areas such as changing rooms, staff rooms, dining rooms and as they engage in conversations or interact in corridors and other settings when they are not engaged in direct patient facing activities.”

There have been a number of outbreaks among healthcare workers - including 10 NIAS staff who tested positive after a golf trip.

Last week, the BBC reported that three members of staff on an elderly stroke and rehabilitation ward at Altnagelvin Hospital had tested positive for Covid.

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